Interlocking means for shipping crates



Jan. 21, 1964 J. E. SUCHODOLSKI INTERLOCKING MEANS FOR SHIPPING CRATES Filed Feb. '7, 1961 INVENTOR.

Jay/v [5 806790004547 United States Patent INTERLQCKING MEANS FOR SHIPPING CRATES John E. Suchodolshi, Modesto, Caiif., assignor to Mcnasha Container or California, Division of Menasha Wooden Ware Corporation, Anaheim, Calif., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Feb. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 87,684 1 Claim. (Cl. 22097) This invention relates to shipping crates and interlocking means therefor, and included in the objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a shipping crate of the type shown in the copending application of Warren F. Davis, Serial No. 826,580, filed July 13, 1959, entitled Shipping Crate and Apparatus for Forming Said Crate From a Blank, and a novelly arranged interlocking means which may be readily and quickly inserted in the ends of the shipping crate so that two or more shipping crates may be stacked and handled as a unit.

Second, to provide an interlocking means for shipping crates in the form of an elongated rectangular loop having an offset end so arranged that it may be inserted downwardly between the end walls of a multiple end wall crate and hooked under the inner wall thereof so as to be held in place, the interlocking means being dimensioned to project above a lower crate and through one or more crates stacked thereon.

Third, to provide an interlocking means for shipping crates which may be provided with a modified offset end adapted to underlie a crate so that the interlocking means may project above a lower crate and through one or more crates stacked thereon.

Fourth, to provide an interlocking means for shipping crates which is in the form of a closed loop of wire; that is, the ends of the wire are welded together so as to eliminate any ends of wire that might cause injury to a worker and damage the crates.

With the above and other objects in view, as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view showing the ends of a stacked pair of crates with portions broken away to show internal structure, and showing the interlocking means in position.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken through 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIGURE 2 showing a modified form of interlocking means.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of one form of the interlocking means.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the modified form thereof.

Shipping crates adapted to the use of the interlocking means are so constructed as to provide multiple panel end wall structures which include an inner end wall or ply 1 and an outer end wall or ply 2, which are joined at their upper ends by a cross web 3. In addition, an intermediate end wall or third end ply 4 extends upwardly from the bottom 5 of the crate between the inner and outer end walls In order to utilize the interlocking means, the cross web is provided midway between the lateral sides of the crate with an aperture 6. The aperture may be formed by a U-shaped slit, the legs of which extend from the inner wall 2 across the web and down the outer end wall a short distance and are then joined by a cross slit. The resulting tab 7normally projects upwardly from the cross web 3 when the crate is formed by downward folding of the H inner end wall 1 and outer end wall 2.

3,118,583 Patented Jan. 21, 1964 The bottom 5 and adjacent portion of the intermediate end wall 4 is provided with a cutout opening 8 in vertical alignment with the aperture 6. When the shipping crates are stacked, the tab 7 of the under crate enters the opening 8 of the upper crate as shown in FIGURE 2. Passageways are provided between opposite sides of the intermediate wall or ply 4 and the inner ply l and outer ply 2 which extend between the aperture 6 and opening 8.

An interlocking means 9 is in the form of an elongated, essentially rectangular metal loop. One form of the interlocking means is provided with an offset cross portion 10 connected to the sides 11 of the interlocking means by short legs 12, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. The modified form of interlocking means, indicated generally by 13, also utilizes an offset cross portion designated 14, but in this case the connecting legs 15 are longer than the connecting legs 12 as shown in FIGURES 3 and 5.

The lower portions of the sides 11 of both interlocking means are parallel, but the upper portions converge slightly and are joined by curved portions 16 to an upper cross portion 17.

The interlocking means 9 shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4 is dimensioned so that its offset end 10 may be inserted downwardly through the aperture 6 between the inner end wall 1 and intermediate wall 4 so as to hook under the inner end wall as shown best in FIGURE 2. The inner end Wall 1 is dimensioned so as to clear the bottom 5 of the crate a suflicient distance to form a slot 18 to permit hooking of the end 10 thereunder, so that the inner wall prevents upward movement of the interlocking means and the bottom panel prevents downward movement of the interlocking means.

The interlocking means 13 shown in FIGURES 3 and 5 is adapted to be inserted upwardly through the cutout opening 8 and between the intermediate wall 4 and inner wall 1.

Both interlocking means project upwardly above a single crate a distance preferably greater than the height of a second crate so that in each case a second crate may be slipped downwardly over the interlocking means by receiving the upper ends thereof through the cutout openings 8. Each pair of crates thus becomes a handling unit; or, if the interlocking means are made longer, three or four crates may constitute a handling unit.

The pair of interlocking means project above the uppermost crate of each handling unit so that the bottom crate of the next handling unit may be partially impaled on the upper ends of the underlying interlocking means. The narrower ends of the underlying set of interlocking means readily enter between the sides 11 of the overlying set of interlocking means. The protruding ends of the interlocking means associated with each handling unit also serve as carrying handles.

The offset end or cross portion 14 of the interlocking means 13 is retained in place by the surface on which the crate is placed or an underlying crate. The ofliset end or cross portion 10 of the interlocking means 9 by reason of the fact that it is interposed between the lower edge of the inner wall 1 and bottom 5 of the crate is restrained against either upward or downward movement. It may be removed, however, by manipulating the cross portion downwardly through the cutout opening 8.

Each of the interlocking means is formed of wire, the ends of which are welded together as indicated by 19 so as to form a closed loop so that all free wire ends are eliminated. With this construction, damage to the crates by wire ends and injury to workers using the crates or manipulating the interlocking means by engagement with wire ends is eliminated.

While a particular embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it is not intended to limit the same to the exact details of the construction set forth,

and it embraces such changes, modifications, and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claim.

I claim:

An interlocking means for crates having multipleply end walls defining vertical passageways and openings at the upper and lower ends thereof and capable of being stacked with said passageways and openings in vertical alignment, said interlocking means comprising: a metal wire, the extremities of the wire being butt-joined to form a projection-free closed loop member, said loop member being laterally compressed to define an elongated rectangle having sides spaced apart throughout their lengths, one of the ends of said rectangle and adjacent portions of said sides being bent at right angles to form a tongue adapted to engage the bottom portion of the lowermost crate in a stack, said sides being axially dimensioned to extend upwardly through the aligned passages and openings of at least a pair of stacked crates, the upper portions of said sides tapering slightly toward each other whereby the upper end of one loop member is insertable between the lower portions of another loop member at the root end of its tongue, the lower portions of said sides being substantially parallel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,594,628 Evans Apr. 29, 1952 2,777,627 Crane Ian. 15, 1957 2,896,835 Burkhardt July 28, 1959 2,971,232 Crane Feb. 14, 1961 

